Cambridge coughs

'Arf a larf', alias Libby catching flies!
Today we are scheduled to drive down to Cambridge to have another meeting with John and Charlotte and Charles had agreed to drive to give Libby a break. Unfortunately during the night he started developing the nasty cold which Jobear had introduced to the house last week. Undeterred we set off in relatively high spirits.
It's interesting that whenever Mike Goldmark gives us a commission, he just says 'I'd like a film about Piper' or whomsoever, pays the money and then leaves us to it. He knows he can trust us to do a good job and that we are a one-stop-shop! Charles is the Director and does all the tehnical stuff with aplomb (or sometimes without) - the filming, editing, sound, authoring of DVDs and he's also something of a connoisseur about music. Libby is in charge of organisation, research, transcription and formulating the film sequences and sits in on editing sessions. They are both dab hands at design and stills photgraphy. So a pretty talented duo really - and markedly modest with it!
However John remarked that all their friends and acquaintances were very liberal with advice about film-making, they all had tame directors under the second mushroom on the left, why choose Malachite, why not Lapis Lazuli, who's going to direct the work, must ensure the sound is good, who's going to write the script etc etc. Rather troubled by all this, and not having made a film previously, they arrived with a huge story board and a list of people to interview at various sites (which would have been a logistical nightmare and played merry whatsit with our carefully worked out budget which allowed one week to bag all the relevant stained glass windows). And they've wheeled in some celebs - Charlie Higson is going to inspire Patrick in the library - the other celeb still under wraps (watch this space).
Anyway I think by the end of the session we all understood where we were coming from or from whence we were coming (not round the mountain).
Sandwiches and soup in the Octagon room most enjoyable again - Charles and I definitely approve of the venue and think Kings should bestow upon Charlotte a permanent Fellowship!
John brought along some of the stained glass panels which Patrick has been working on, and they really are wonderful, every one completely different and just inspired, illustrating Patrick's wit and energy.
One of Patrick's panels - signed, leaded, unique and a snip at £90!
Charles' cold (or rather the one Jobear had graciously bestowed upon him) had developed exponentially during the afternoon and by the time we started our drive back home he was a very unhappy bunny, his lot not aided by the rain which was tanking down and the driving snow which hindered us for the last half hour. However the AGA-warm kitchen, a glass of red and Libby's buttered prawns with tomatoes, olives and Arak, together with doses of Beechams made him feel a little better.

Cochem

Patrick painting one of the Cochem windows in Derix studios


Graham and Patrick in the Derix studios contemplating their work

Saturday 7 November
Having given 3 lectures in 3 successive days in Buckinghamshire, Dorset and Swansea, Libby rose at some ungoldly hour on Saturday 7 November to drive to Stansted from whence she and Charles were due to fly to Germany and then collect a hire car and drive to Cochem along the Moselle - stunning scenery, vineyards on every available scrap of land, fairytale castles. We had a wander round the town, located St Martin's church, took some photographs before darkness descended, after which it seemed only fitting to sample the local white wine and then repair for a schnitzel, excellently cooked, with some local red, just a shame about the draught from the door!

Fairytale Cochem Castle

Sunday 8 November
Up at 7am and off to film and photograph the town and the late Gothic Imperial castle, rising above the early morning mist, before we progressed to St Martin's for the unveiling, where we met up with Patrick, John, Charlotte and their two boys and were introduced to Graham Jones and his family.
The Pastor, Father Werner Muller was determined to have modern glass for the 8 windows, each 35ft high and 7ft wide and commissioned Graham to design them and then insisted on windows to rival Chagall, at which point Patrick was brought in - he draws similar turbulent, energetic and India-rubber bendy figures. That a man of Patrick's age could paint all this glass is quite astounding. But the windows are just amazing, the leading so fluid, the colours floating over each other, unrelated to the painted image, like a dream world.

Patrick celebrating a job WELL DONE!
The service took FOREVER! 3 whole hours - Charles filmed the entirety, including Father Muller enthusiastically blessing the windows with holy water (soaking Charles' film camera in the process - swearing not allowed!), plus the free drinks and food and socialising afterwards, plus the subsequent interminable explanation given by Father Muller to his flock, plus interviews with Patrick, Graham and Wilhelm Derix (the owner of the glass studios where the windows were made). Not content with this Charles then decided we should film the town from the castle so we plodded up to said castle (lugging all the camera equipment needless to say). Finally at about 5pm Charles called it a day (thank goodness) and we stopped for a restorative glass and a VERY late lunch!
Followed by the drive back to the airport, and a long wait therein for the plane (but luckily we met Graham and family and had a good giggle).

flying and fliers

Although the last few days at Film Farm were supposed to be FBSG, in fact there was much discussion over meals and the odd glass or 3 about the forthcoming Cochem trip, plus booking of flights and hotels and trial packing of bags because of course one is extremely limited when travelling with Ryan Air - so it looks like there will be one bag in the hold and the cabin bags will be chock full of camera equipment - but each of us is allowed a toothbrush and a change of underwear! We also developed one of our publicity fliers to hand out at Cochem, based on the ideas presented by John and Charlotte during our Cambridge meeting.

soup and sandwiches

And so 21 October found Libby travelling by train up to Cambridge and Charles driving down from Film Farm to meet John and his wife Dr Charlotte Grant at Kings College, where Charlotte is a Fellow. Charles was even allowed to park the Goblin on the forecourt, how cool is that, and Charlotte gave us a tour of the Chapel (most impressive) but luckily for Libby (who suffers from vertigo) we weren't allowed up on the roof that particular day. We settled down in one of the private rooms and had some yummy soup and sandwiches and discussed logistics and a trip to Cochem to film the unveiling of Patrick's latest windows, produced in collaboration with Graham Jones. All very civilised and sophisticated. John and Charlotte have some great ideas about fund raising, including getting Patrick to paint offcuts of glass with smoking fish or phoenix which will then be leaded and sold and a possible PR evening with talks and food - but I'm keeping mum for the present until the arrangements have been finalised.
And afterwards Charles and I trotted round to Robinson College to see the Reyntiens/Piper window (below).

move over Melvyn!*

John was so impressed by the Piper film that he contacted us about producing something similar about his father - Charles and I were supposed to be working on FBSG this week but mostly got waylaid by this enticing new project (see FBSG entry for 18/10/2009).
* refers to a flattering comment by a very distinguished academic suggesting that the Piper film narrator should replace Melvyn Bragg!

Piper launch

Well, this is dealt with in more depth on the Piper blog, but John did indeed attend (mit another jolly floral shirt) and went away with the DVD to peruse, view, whatever.

serendipity

Ampleforth - the egg - Mary at the moment of her conception in St Anne's womb

Having been asked to give a lecture about Patrick's stained glass I had been busying myself visiting various churches, taking photographs, making notes, and made an appointment to visit Ampleforth College and Abbey on 25th September (we're now in 2009, keep up!) The Benedictine establishment is not only where Patrick received his schooling but also boasts a significant number of his stained glass windows made in collaboration with his son John who has a stained glass company in Hackney, Urban Glass Works.

Father Prior showed me round the Abbey and introduced me to a young man in a jolly floral shirt who was finishing some work on the windows - and who should it be but John Reyntiens. I could scarcely credit it, what a coincidence! So we chatted merrily away, giggling about some of Patrick's eccentricities and I happened to mention that the Piper film was being launched at the Goldmark Gallery on the 27th - since his father couldn't attend, perhaps John would care to?

John in Ampleforth Abbey